The recent announcement that HPE will acquire Juniper Networks at an estimated purchase price of $14 billion USD created quite a stir in technology circles. HPE has been a technology powerhouse for decades. Its strategy of strategic acquisitions continues to build a robust portfolio. With recent emphasis placed on AI capabilities, this acquisition between HPE and Juniper creates a win-win for customers. Let’s take a look at just how this will come to be.
HPE Strengths
Determining HPE’s strengths in the IT marketplace can be subjective depending on specific needs and perspectives. However, three key areas consistently stand out, making HPE a compelling choice for many businesses:
- Hybrid IT Expertise: HPE excels in bridging the gap between traditional on-premises IT and the cloud. They offer a comprehensive portfolio of solutions encompassing servers, storage, networking, software, and managed services. These are all designed to seamlessly integrate and work together across different environments. This approach caters to businesses seeking flexibility and optimal utilization of existing infrastructure while leveraging the scalability and agility of the cloud.
- Edge Computing Leadership: HPE is at the forefront of edge computing, recognizing its growing importance in the evolving IT landscape. They offer robust edge solutions, optimized for processing and analyzing data at the source, closer to devices and sensors. This empowers businesses to gain real-time insights, improve operational efficiency, and make faster decisions.
- Security-Centric Approach: HPE prioritizes security throughout their product and service offerings. Their solutions integrate security features and functionalities at every layer, from hardware and firmware to software and cloud services. This comprehensive approach helps businesses mitigate security risks, build resilience, and comply with industry regulations.
Juniper Networks Strengths
When it comes to Juniper Networks’ top strengths in the IT marketplace, three standout areas often capture attention:
- Networking Expertise: Juniper boasts deep expertise in networking technology, particularly in high-performance routing, switching, and security solutions. Their routers and switches are industry leaders, renowned for their reliability, scalability, and advanced features. This expertise caters to businesses demanding robust and secure network infrastructures for mission-critical applications.
- Openness and Interoperability: Juniper champions open networking standards and interoperability, making their solutions compatible with diverse network environments and equipment from various vendors. This flexibility is especially attractive to businesses with existing infrastructure investments, avoiding vendor lock-in and enabling seamless integration of new technologies.
- AI-Driven Innovation: Juniper actively integrates artificial intelligence (AI) into its products and services. The core software platform for their devices incorporates AI functionalities for automation, network analytics, and threat detection. This focus on AI innovation allows businesses to benefit from improved network performance, efficiency, and security in the age of intelligent networking.
A Win-Win
It’s that last item that sticks out as a huge win-win for businesses. With Juniper’s existing strength in AI and HPE’s commitment to leveraging AI, the entire IT portfolio at HPE is poised to become stronger, smarter, and simpler. Here’s a handful of benefits to consider in the wake of this acquisition:
- Stronger: Combining HPE’s Aruba networking solutions with Juniper’s expertise in data center and enterprise networking could lead to a wider range of options for you to choose from, potentially catering to more diverse and complex networking needs.
- Smarter: Both companies are known for their focus on innovation in next-generation networking technologies like AI-driven networks and secure edge computing. This combined effort should lead to faster development and adoption of these technologies, offering you access to more advanced and efficient networking solutions in the future.
- Simpler: If you currently use both HPE and Juniper products, the deal could streamline your procurement process by giving you a single point of contact for both sets of solutions. This could save you time and resources in the long run. If you don’t currently use either vendor, maybe now marks a good time to consider them.
If you’d like an expert to walk you through what this merger could mean for your business, reach out. Our team is always on top of the latest trends in the marketplace. We have access to additional information and resources as an HPE Platinum Partner. Let’s put all of that to work for you. Reach out to us today. We’re always listening.
